Russia ‘not backing Haftar’s Tripoli offensive’

Russia says it has not assisted forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in their latest push to take over Tripoli, calling for a political solution to the recent flare-up of tensions in Libya.

Asked if Russia was backing Haftar’s new offensive on the Libyan capital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russia was not involved.

Haftar on Thursday announced that his forces would begin an offensive against Tripoli, which is currently controlled by the county’s internationally-recognized government. The so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), under Haftar’s command, claimed that its advance on the country’s west was meant to root out what it called “terrorist groups” in the restive region.

Peskov said Moscow was monitoring the developments.

“We are closely following the situation in Libya,” the Kremlin spokesman said. “Of course we consider that the most important thing is that (military) operations there do not lead to bloodshed. The situation should be resolved peacefully.”

UN chief meets Haftar in Benghazi

Amid the escalation, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met Haftar in the eastern city of Benghazi on Friday, witnesses said.

Guterres, who had been in the Libyan capital this week to help organize a national reconciliation conference slated for later this month, reportedly also met Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the eastern-based parliament, in the city of Tobruk earlier on Friday.

The UN chief left Libya after the meetings, with “a heavy heart and deeply concerned,” he said on Twitter, adding, “I still hope it is possible to avoid a bloody confrontation in and around Tripoli.”

Haftar’s forces, however, continued their advance on the capital on Friday, capturing the village of Suq al-Khamis, some 40 kilometers south of Tripoli, a resident and an eastern military source said. The capture came after clashes with forces allied to the UN-backed Tripoli government, the sources said.

SS